1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of 3-Dimensional (3D) capture of the physical world. More specifically, the present invention relates to capturing and aligning multiple 3D scenes with one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
While methods for capturing 3D information have existed for over a decade, such methods are traditionally expensive and require complex hardware such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors.
The emergence of 3D capture devices that capture color as well as less expensive 3D capture devices such as the PrimeSense™ Ltd. hardware in Microsoft Corporation's Kinect™ have made it possible for 3D scenes and objects to be automatically reconstructed from multiple 3D captures by non-technical users. Current alignment software remains limited in its capabilities and ease of use. Existing alignment methods, such as the Iterative Closest Point algorithm (ICP), require users to manually input an initial rough alignment. Such manual input typically exceeds the capabilities of most non-technical users.
3D reconstruction technology, however, should be distinguished from 3D filming techniques as the latter do not perform any 3D reconstruction. 3D filming techniques, instead, capture a scene from two different points of view so that those scenes may later be shown to a viewer via a 3D display. The 3D geometry of the captured scene may never be calculated by a computer. The raw stereo image may simply be passed on to the viewer for perception.